Welcome late summer with your crisp and pleasant weather, this time of inspired thinking where new ideas flood in; I ask that you assist me as I map out these abundant autumn duties with my family, work and harvest season.
Often there’s a harried feel to Autumn. Busy we are, like squirrels stashing nuts, it feels good to be fueled by abundance and purpose. Before modern conveniences we were all required to store up on food supplies in order to feed ourselves before new life sprouted again in the spring.
Among other preservation and storage delights going on in my kitchen, late summer’s harvest is the time when I get to make our family’s most favorite tomato soup.
The Freshest Tomato~Ginger Soup
Gather Your Ingredients:
5 cups coarsely chopped ripe-in-season-local-tomatoes
2 cloves fresh garlic
4 tablespoons butter or ghee
2 tablespoons grated fresh ginger
2 cups vegetable or bone broth
1 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon curry powder
½ cup cooked Basmati rice (optional)
Assemble Your Creation:
In a saucepan over low heat, heat the garlic gently in the melted butter until the aromas release, this will take a few minutes then add the tomatoes and turn the heat up to medium, gently saute for several minutes. Add the ginger, broth, curry and salt. Cover the pan with a lid and simmer for 20 minutes. In a food processor or blender, puree the soup and return to the saucepan, heat thoroughly. Add the rice to your bowl and ladle the hot soup over top, enjoy. Serves 4.
Nature Does It
The transition of late summer to autumn is a time or ripening, curing, preserving and letting go. Nature shows us: the leaves turn ablaze before they let go. The seeds of the grasses mature. Fruits get juicy ripe and if not consumed they fall to the earth. That which falls off is recycled. After a time of decomposition, with the help of the creepy crawlies; dank, fertile, springtime soil begs new life to take root.
Over To You
Late summer tempts us to gather and be industrious, it’s the urge to prepare for winter’s extremes. Culturally this is a time of falling back into schedules and structures. While there can be much work that needs to be done, it’s important to sit still, rejuvenate and take care.
As is with yoga poses: perfect, statuesque balance isn’t something that is achieved but rather balance is something to seek while witnessing the constant fluctuations that pull us astray.
Perhaps you’ll feel the urge to have a quiet day in the kitchen to make some soup or preserve some of the local harvest. Maybe it’s time to return to the yoga studio and find a schedule with your self-care.
I’d love to hear what’s real for you.
Are you feeling the gearing up of autumn or a final ripening of a cycle?
Are you encouraging your growth while also leaning back to rejuvenate?
How do you like to restore while also getting it done?
